this is chit chat, so bring some entertainment/criticisms/pr0n/whatever...advice, thoughts, and considerations are welcome, too...fair warning, moderate amount of [words]

i've been at my current job for more than 3 years, with a total of more than 5 years at the same company...they paid for grad school (graduated in december), which is why i've stayed here for so long

i was recently offered a new job with a 20% pay increase with a different company, but i don't really WANT it...it's the same thing i do now, which i don't mind, but don't particularly enjoy...i want to find a job in my graduate field of study, not keep doing stuff to just pay the bills

my current boss is a dick...he's an idiot and i'll be surprised if his contract is renewed in august, especially since i've been BCC'ing our director on every lie and made-up bullshit email he sends out and i respond to...he's been called out on multiple occasions and i get actual joy out of seeing him squirm...i've also got a bit of documentation that will hopefully get him fired and then this job will be 1000% better...but who knows, he might stick around and i'll be stuck with him as there are no guarantees

the actual work environment is actually pretty great...i have my own office with a view, flexible hours, (generally) nice/competent people to work with, better-than-average holiday and vacation, etc...it's also only about 5 minutes from home, so the drive is quick and easy

so here's my dilemma...i've been working with my old advisor to secure a federal 5-year grant that would have me teaching and doing research with him, all for a slight (like 2%) increase in pay from what i make now...and i would love to do this...but we won't know if we got the grant until later this year and i wouldn't start doing anything until january

i really want to go to my boss' boss (who is not a dick) with the offer letter and give him an ultimatum: 10% raise and my boss removed as my supervisor (not fired, just me moved out from under him, preferably to the supervisor i was under a year ago)...but if he says no, i'm pretty much stuck taking a (what i assume will be) boring job with longer commute, more rigid work schedule, a cube instead of an office, and less holiday/vacation time...the only benefit is higher pay

to make matters worse, if my bluff is called and i have to leave (because, really, i would have to)...and the grant comes in...i'd leave the new job after only 7 or 8 months

so, do i:
1.) never mention the job offer, stay at my current job with less money and a shitty boss...but with a lot of nice perks...and hope my boss gets fired AND i get the grant
2.) risk having to leave by taking the offer to my boss' boss and giving him an ultimatum...but at least get more money in a new job if my bluff is called
3.) FWP: stop whining and be happy i have a job, even if it sucks donkey balls sometimes...and hope i get the grant

3/20/2012 10:06:20 AM

i dint read...good luck!

3/20/2012 10:06:52 AM

number 1

3/20/2012 10:08:50 AM

I would take option 2 to your boss's boss and ask for a pay raise, but not to have your current boss removed. That just sounds like whiny shit, and he's not going to reorganize the company to keep a minion. However, if you ask him for a 20% pay raise, there's a chance you get something out of it in order to stay long enough until you get the job you really want in several months.

But, when you approach the boss, say "hey, I would really like to stay with this company, but I've gotten another offer, and for the sake of the pay increase alone, it is competitive. My first choice is to stay here, but I will need a raise to justify turning this offer down."

[Edited on March 20, 2012 at 10:10 AM. Reason : ]

3/20/2012 10:09:42 AM

Introduce your boss to TWW and let him find this thread.

3/20/2012 10:11:12 AM

i wouldn't trade a nice office for a cube, you spend way to much time at work for that nonsense

3/20/2012 10:13:44 AM

spiders

3/20/2012 10:30:54 AM

4) Switch jobs with elduderino where you will go on to try to put airplanes into the ground, and he will assume your role in the manner of Michael J Fox's character in The Secret of my Success. You will probably die, but he will bang a young Helen Slater and wrest ownership of your company while "Oh Yeah" by Yellow plays in the background.

3/20/2012 11:31:12 AM